Früh

Peter Josef Früh had sold an earlier brewing business in 1899 before establishing Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG in 1904, choosing a site near the city's cathedral. The brewery remains a traditional private family business, now in its fifth generation of family ownership and led by managing partners Frank Höhler and Philipp C. Müller. As of 2026, Früh employs over 600 people and produces approximately 380,000 hectolitres per year, ranking it the third largest brewery in Cologne.

Früh specialises in top fermentation, the technique in which yeast operates at the surface of the fermenting liquid, producing the style that defines Kölsch. Its beers are brewed according to the German Purity Law and the brewery has held Slow Brewing certification since 2014. Früh introduced Kölsch in a bottle in 1969. In 1985, it opened a modern brewing facility in the southern suburbs of Cologne, and in 2005 the Eden Hotel Früh am Dom opened near the cathedral. In March 2019, Früh announced a cooperation with Haus Kölscher Brautradition GmbH.

The alcohol-free line centres on a Kölsch at 0.0% ABV, suitable for sober-curious drinkers and those who choose to avoid alcohol.